Plan your Shanghai tour? Cruising on Huangpu River is a must-do activity on your first trip to Shanghai. A great city tends to have a great river. Like Seine River in Paris, Shanghai has a river known as Huangpu River winding from south to north entering Yangtze River.
While Paris is bisected into Right Bank and Left Bank by Seine River, Shanghai is divided into East Area (Pudong) and West Area (Puxi). The East Area in Shanghai is also known as “Pudong” in Chinese, referring to the area east of Huangpu River while the West Area is known as “Puxi” in Chinese, the area west of Huangpu River.
Pudong (East Area) is the new economic development zone materialized by high rises and commercial centers with many iconic landmarks in Shanghai. Puxi(West Area) is the traditional city core where its old city is located.
Major attractions in Paris are scattered along Seine River, including Louvre Museum, Nortre Dame, Orsay Museum, Invalides and Eiffel Tower.
The traditional attractions in Shanghai are spread along or near the west bank of Huangpu River highlighted as the Bund, Nanjing Pedestrian Road, People’s Square, Shanghai Museums, former French Concession and Yuyuan Garden (also the old city bazaar).
There are four best places to have a panoramic view of the city of Paris, namely Arc de Triomphe, Basilique du Sacre Coeur, Montpartnasse Building and Eiffel Tower.
Though not ideal for accommodations for leisure travelers visiting Shanghai, the east area (Pudong) is the best destination for city panoramas.
Pudong Area is teamed with high-rise iconic landmarks in Shanghai including Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Jinmao Tower and Global Trade Center Tower, where you can have a bird-eye view of Shanghai.
Eiffel Tower in Paris
Jinmao Tower and Global Trade Center in Shanghai
A panoramic view of Paris City
A panoramic view of Shanghai City
Cruising on the Seine River
Cruising on Huangpu River in Shanghai
Hassle-free Shanghai Guided Tours
If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Shanghai:
Plan your Shanghai tour? Shanghai Xintiandi (上海新天地) is a place you shouldn’t miss. “Xintiandi” literally means “New Heaven and Earth” which refers to an international standard mall based on the former cluster of Shikumen buildings in the center of Shanghai.
The avant garde in Shanghai
The Shikumen buildings were built in 1860s with a blend of Chinese and western style architectures. The western style of brick door frames, roofs and walls go harmoniously with the inside structures of Chinese traditional houses in the Yangtze Delta Area.
The shikumen buildings in Xitiandi area have been turned from their residential function to a huge mall of dotted and connected shikumen buildings, a shopping center, a dining center, a leisure center and a fanshion center, hence a showcase of the avant garde in Shanghai. If you are not interested in shoping, drinking or dining, a glimpse of the shikumen buidlings is worth your 1-2 hour stroll.
Xintiandi is similar to Tianzifang in terms of Shikumen buildings and leisure activities. But Xintiandi is totally commercialized without any local residents living in these shikumen buildings while in Tianzifang, people still live on the floor over the restaurants and shops housed in Shikumen buildings.
If you are not pressed for time, you are advised to visit both Xintiandi and Tianzifang for a perfect picture of Shanghai in the past and present.
How to get to Xintiandi
Shanghai Xintiandi occupies an area of about 30,000 square meters. It is mainly composed of two areas – Xintiandi Beili ( North ) and Xintiandi Nanli ( South ), separated by the east-west Yexing Road (业兴路) .
The whole Xintiandi area is located between Taicang Road 太仓路(north) and Zizhong Road 自忠路(south）with Yexing Road in between; between South Huangpo Road 黄陂南路(east) and Madang Road 马当路(west).
A 1.6km walk from Tianzifang to Xintiandi area ( Google)
Taking subway is the most convenient transport. Take subway Line 1 and get off at the station of Huangpo South Road (黄陂南路) and exit from the Exit 2 and walk south; take subway line 10 and get off at the station of Xintiandi and using the exit 1 and walk to the north.
If you reach Xintiandi by subway line 1, you will first visit Xintiandi Beili ( Xintiandi’s north part ) and then continue to walk south to see Xintiandi Nanli(Xintiandi’s southern part); if take subway line 10, you may eixt from the Exit 1 and continue to visit the Xintiandi Nanli (southern part) and then walk north to visit Xintiandi Beili ( northern part).
Virtual Tour of Xintiandi
Follow us to have a glimpse of Shanghai Xintiandi. The east-west Xingye (兴业路）divides Xintiandi into two parts – North Part and South Part.
Taicang Road is the northern tip of Xintiandi Area
Taicang Road is the northern tip of Xintiandi Area
The Starbucks Coffee housed in a former Shikumen building
Bars and Restaurants lit up at night
Two-three story Shikumen buildings
Restaurants and bars at Xintiandi
The Shikumen building turned restaurant lit up
The Site of the 1st National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party
Shikumen buildings decorated fashionably
The east-west Xingye (兴业路）divides Xintiandi into two parts – North Part and South Part.
The typical Shikumen buildings on Xingye Road
The northern Part of Xintiandi teems with modern bars and shopping malls.
The modern shopping center
The exterior of Xintiandi Style
Inside the shopping mall of Xintiandi Style
Have a drink
Enjoy!
Hassle-free Shanghai Guided Tours
If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Shanghai:
Plan Shanghai tour for your family? Contrary to its seeming hustle and bustle, Shanghai is still an easy city to visit with kids. You may do the internet search for Shanghai travel information on family vacation, or your may rely on your hotel or local travel agencies to tailor-make your family trip to Shanghai.
Of course, strolling around a metropolitan city like Shanghai tend to be less exciting than hiking the Great Wall of China, or cruising on the mighty Yangtze River. That’s why we bring you some ideas and recommendations about where to go and visit to make sure your family has a fun and safe experience in Shanghai.
Family safety in Shanghai
Before we bring you to the focus of our recommendations, we’d like to remind you of the kids or family safety in Shanghai. Shanghai is easy to navigate with convenient network of subway lines and the ubiquitous traffic signs in English. You won’t find language is an issue. Hotel staff, taxi drivers or tour guides are helpful and courteous.
Like Beijing, or any other cities in China, Shanghai has a low crime rate, a fairly safe city, especially for foreign travelers. The biggest problem will be it seems to be crowded everywhere and traffic condition is far less than developed countries. You should hold the hands of your children and keep an eye on them.
Local toilet culture
Local toilet culture may be quite different from that of your country. Squat toilets are still widely used in Shanghai. Shanghai’s public toilets, especially the tourist toilets are generally well maintained .
Most of the toilets are equipped with remote-sensor flushing, automatic hand drier and more. But most toilets do not provide toilet paper. Being sure to carry tissues at all times.
Virtual Tour of best activities for families and children in Shanghai.
Follow us to visit the best activities for families and children in Shanghai.
Choose an amusement park to entertain your family
There are two large amusement parks in Shanghai – Happy Valley Amusement Park, Shanghai (上海欢乐谷）and Jiang Amusement Park (锦江乐园). The much-expected Shanghai Disneyland Resort （上海迪斯尼) .
Jinjiang Amusement Park,
Happy Valley Amusement Park, Shanghai (上海欢乐谷） Shanghai Happy Valley is currently the largest, the most beautiful and the highest technology theme park in Shanghai, even in China. Covering an area of 90 Hectares and with an investment of more than 4 billion yuan, Shanghai Happy Valley is located in the core region of Sheshan National Tourism Resort in Songjiang District.
Address: No.888, Linhu Road, Songjiang District, Shanghai Entrance Fee: CNY 200; CNY100 (for kids1.2-1.4m tall); Free for kids under 1.2m. Opening Hours: 9:00-18:00 Telephone: (021) 33552222 Bus Routes: take Subway Line 9 from Xujiahui Station to Sheshan Station. Cross the overpass and find the free shuttle bus in orange color to the park directly
Jiang Amusement Park (锦江乐园） Jinjiang Action Park provides visitors with the international advanced and domestic first-class entertainment experience. Accompanied by the consummate ancillary facilities such as shopping, dining and car service, Jinjiang Action Park is indeed a paradise for everyone. Address: 201 Hongmei Road, Shanghai Entrance Fee: CNY30 for 2 projects and CNY 60 for 6 projects Opening Hours: 08:45-17:00 Telephone: 021-54204956 Bus Routes: Metro No.1 line, Buses No.50, 131, 704
Shanghai Disneyland Resort （上海迪斯尼) The Shanghai Disney Resort is an upcoming theme park resort by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the first Disneyland in the mainland China.
Address: Chuansha Town, Pudong New Area, Shanghai
Learning about flora and fauna
Shanghai is a haven for those who love animals and take an interest in plants both local and international.
The Shanghai Botanical Garden (上海植物园) Shanghai Botanical Garden is located in Xuhui District, about 12 km southwest of Shanghai city center. The garden covers an area of over 80 hectares. The garden is well known for its bonsai with wide collections of magnolias, roses, azaleas, peonies, conifers, maples, osmanthus and bamboo.
The garden has 3500 species of local regional flora from the Middle and Lower Yangtze River. It is the largest municipal botanic garden in China with prizes won in the Netherlands and Canada for plant displays.
Shanghai Zoo (上海动物园) Shanghai Zoo is the main zoological garden in the Chinese city of Shanghai. The zoo houses and exhibits over 6,000 species of animals, among which are 600 Chinese animals that include the giant panda, golden snub-nosed monkey, South China Tiger, hoopoe, black bulbul, great hornbills and bractian camels.
The zoo is constantly developing and improving the animal enclosures in order to provide better environments for the animals and a pleasurable experience for visitors.
Address: 2381 Hongqiao Road, Shanghai Entrance Fee: 86-21-62687775 Opening Hours: 07:00-17:00 (Nov. to the next Feb.); 07:00-17:30 (March and April) Telephone: 021-62687775 Bus Routes: take Buses No. 709, 945, 748, 911, 519…
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium (上海海洋水族馆） Shanghai Ocean Aquarium (SOA) is the biggest aquarium in Shanghai and one of the most beautiful ones in the world. The aquarium has a total built in area of 20,500 square meters. It is divided into 9 different thematic zones. The main highlights from these various zones include the Chinese sturgeon, Giant Salamander, Electric Eels, Spotted seals, Weedy Seadragons, Jellyfish, Sand Tiger Sharks… and many more!
Shanghai Wild Animal Zoo （上海野生动物园) Shanghai Wild Animal Zoo is located in XuanQiao Town of Nanhui District in Pudong New Area. In the walking area, you can enjoy the world rare animals such as white lion, white tiger, white kangaroo, giant panda, Chinese alligator and so on. In the small animal garden, you can hug the small animal,feed lovely monkey, and have the experience of keeper to see personally the miraculously generating.
Address: Highway 178, South Six, Xuanqiao Town, Nanhui District, Pudong New Area, Shanghai
Entrance Fee: CNY 100 Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00 (March to November); 08;30-16:30 (December to February) Telephone: 86 21 61180000 Bus Routes: Nanxin Special Line, Huisong Line, Tourism Bus at Shanghai Stadium…
Immersing yourself in the local museums
Shanghai has numerous museums with different themes. Choose the theme you are interested in and spend your cozy morning or afternoon roaming in the sea of knowledge.
Shanghai Children’s Museum (上海儿童博物馆) Shanghai Kids Museum is an interactive children’s play land which mainly consists of Astronaut Hall, Ocean Navigation Hall, Toy Hall, Exhibition Hall, Global Cinema Hall and Multi-function Hall.
The exhibits are mostly in Chinese, with a good blend of fun and education. But still you can find the museum has enough to see and non-Chinese-speaking kids can have fun, too.
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Shanghai Science and Technology Museum
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum (上海科技馆) Shanghai Science and Technology Museum covers an area of 68,000 square meters with an exhibition space of 65,500 square meters.
The museum has 13 main permanent exhibition halls and 4 science theaters. The theaters are oft-lauded as the largest science education cinemas in Asia with 10,000 annual films shown.
Entrance fees: 60 yuan ( adult ) and 30 yuan (children) Opening hours: 9:00 – 17:15 ( Closed on Monday ) Add: 2000, Century Avenue, Pudong, Shanghai 世纪大道2000号
Shanghai Railway Museum (上海铁路博物馆) Shanghai Railway Museum is housed a traditional building of British style. It was established in the former Shanghai station, now close to the current subway stations – Baoshan Road Station on Lines 3 and 4.
The museum has 1,300 square meters of outside exhibition space, and 3000 square meters in the four floors of the main buildings. Related articles, books and artifacts are on display, telling people the development of Shanghai’ railway. The museum is a place for education and science.
Entrance Fee: 10 yuan; 5 yuan (children) Opening hours: 9:00 – 16:30 (closed in Monday and Sunday) Add: 200, Tianmu East Road, Zhabei District 闸北区天目东路200号
Having your kids get to role-play
Widen your kids’ experience and knowledge by learning something about each occupation under the guidance of adult helpers at Eday Town.
Eday Town (星期8小镇) Eday Town is a place for entertainment and play around real occupations. Kidtown features a variety of facilities such as: beauty parlor, fire station, hospital, police station, school, supermarket and theater; it also features the following free classes: Arts/Crafts, Cooking, Kids Yoga, Music/Movement and Story Time.
Double-decker bus sightseeing Double-decker bus sightseeing
Double-decker bus sightseeing for family fun The open top decker city sightseeing tours allow you have a glimpse of Shanghai’s culture and city landscape in a relax and affordable way. The whole loop trip takes you around two and half hours.
The city sightseeing bus follows two routes: Line 1 through Pudong, and Line 2 through Puxi, with a total of 14 stops along the way. The bus links famous city attractions such as People’s Square, the Bund, Town God’s Temple, Huaihai Road and the Lujiazui Financial District. The city sightseeing bus operates 365 days a year with a system that allows passengers to embark and disembark as they please, at any number of shopping, entertainment or sightseeing locations.
The 24 hour ticket is valid for one person (with the option of an accompanying child under 1.4 metres in height), and includes one pair of earphones. The GPS-triggered audio tour comes with 8 language options: Chinese, English, Korean, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Japanese.
Hassle-free Shanghai Guided Tours
If you don’t want to do a self-guided tour and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Shanghai:
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